Former Satcon Employees Create New Co-op To Service Remaining Inverters

Former employees of bankrupt solar inverter manufacturer Satcon have come together to establish Solarcoop, a ‘multi-disciplinary cooperative’ that will support solar power customers who have Satcon products integrated into their systems.

‘As a result of Satcon's bankruptcy filing last year and being aware of the need of preventive and corrective maintenance to all the customers that are currently using utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems manufactured by Satcon, we have formed an interdisciplinary cooperative team of former Satcon's employees,’ says Gerardo Soler, director of the co-op.

Similarly, other former Satcon employees have continued servicing the bankrupt manufacturer's inverters through different companies and initiatives. Mike Levi, for example, spent years as a Satcon executive and now does consulting work at Ontario-based Trylon TSF. Peter Deege, a former Satcon general manager, also helps Photon Energy Group offer repairs to Satcon's existing customers under his new position as chief commercial officer.

Solarcoop's Soler says the new initiative represents a win-win for former Satcon employees and customers.

‘We recognized this was an opportunity for us (former Satcon employees) to provide Satcon customers with a superior service by combining the skills of each of us in a cooperative effort where customer needs are first, now that they were left in limbo," he explains." And at the same time, we as individuals can continue developing our careers as technical workers in the alternative energy area."

The Solarcoop initiative will offer services such as preventive maintenance, components replacement, and on-site diagnosis and repairs. The co-op will also cover various Satcon lines, including Satcon PowerGate Plus PV inverters ranging from 30 KW up to 1 MW; Solstice; Prism Platform; PV View Plus; Satcon Smart Combiner and Equinox.